I'm looking to bucket list the Catskill 3500 club and I want to hike slide mtn. this weekend. I have hiking experience and survival experience. I'm 52 and capable of knocking out decent elevation and 5 miles in a 1/2 day. I hunt and fish so I spend lots of time in the wilderness, I'm mostly a lone hiker but my last hike 2 weeks ago to Balsam alone in the winter had me rethinking that stance LOL PS: are the Catskill mountain always so crowded in the winter I saw 12 hikers when I did Balsam/!?!?!